The World Where I Belong, Chapter 4.

Chapter 4: His Adventure hasn't yet begun.

—OoOoO—

After that steamy night with Kurenai at her house, Toji had promised to go during the day while she was at work. However, the boy didn't keep his word. Or rather, he slept until the afternoon, and the neighbourhood was already too busy, so he missed the chance to leave without his neighbours knowing. As such, Kurenai ended up scolding him severely when he returned, especially since Izumi had told him that she was actually a minor.

However, Toji's talent as a womaniser was no joke. With some smooth talk, he managed to get Kurenai back into bed, and they continued their rounds until dawn. Truly, as the saying went, the hardest part was always the first part—or how it started—and the second, third, and so on became easier.

—OoOoO—

Two weeks had passed, and Toji was currently sitting on the edge of his backyard fish pond, watching the koi swim peacefully, unaware that humans had taken away their freedom. His face looked bored with nothing to do after, for the third time this week, returning from Kurenai's place this afternoon from their night activities. He had done his daily exercise, but after that, there was really nothing he could do but feed the fish.

“Shisui! Get out, you fucker!!”

Toji, who had almost fallen asleep in the backyard, was startled when he heard a scream from outside the house.

“We know you're in there!! Show your face now or you'll regret it!!”

The boy stared inside, or rather, tried to see what was happening in front of their house. He wanted to ignore the uninvited guests who had suddenly become angry for no apparent reason. However, thinking that something interesting might happen if he opened the door for them, Toji got up from his lazy spot.

—OoOoO—

The brown-haired Uchiha continued pounding on the door, shouting Shiusi's name. His neck muscles bulged with pronounced veins of anger. His eyebrows furrowed with a twisted expression, trying to show off his terrifying features. His two companions, standing behind him, also displayed the same gesture. However, just as he tried to shout for the umpteenth time, the traditional door finally swung open, sliding to the side.

“Shi—Tsk, it’s just you. Where’s your twin?” the man asked, slightly annoyed, after the person he was expecting wasn’t who he was expecting.

“You’re asking me? Then who should I ask? Like hell I know his whereabout,” Toji replied nonchalantly.

“Stop messing around. Your brother has missed two regular clan meetings in a row!”

Toji's gaze fell on another man in the second row.

“Do you think I’m his parent who knows all his schedules?” Toji retorted sarcastically, “If you really wanna know where he is, why don’t you just ask the Hokage or even Fugaku? Are you too afraid to face them?”

“Watch your mouth, you useless brat! Do you think we’d be here if it wasn’t for Master Fugaku’s request?” said the third man.

Toji narrowed his eyes without the slightest fear.

“Then, tell him to go fuck himself. I don't know and don't care where Shisui is right now.”

Toji's vulgar and arrogant words snapped them out of their sanity. The man in the front row immediately punched him. Although Toji saw it coming, he didn't react and let the fist land squarely on his jaw.

Instead of feeling pain, Toji grimaced like a maniac. He didn’t deliver the first blow, and at this point, he wouldn't be accused of being the aggressor if he hit them.

“Not that bad,” the guy said with an even wider grin.

However, just as he was about to give an equal right with a hook, a low, dense voice interrupted them.

“Stop that! Don't act like immature kids.”

The people turned their heads. Except for Toji, their eyes widened when they saw the figure approaching them.

“Master Fugaku!!” they said in unison.

The three uninvited men immediately bowed their heads deeply, showing their utmost respect for the figure. However, Toji didn't, as he slightly raised his head, as if reluctant to lower his gaze to someone who hadn't even contributed anything to his life.

"If you're here looking for Shisui too, then leave. I ain’t give a damn shit where he’s right now," Toji said.

Hearing that sarcastic tone, the three men, who had their heads lowered, were about to rebuke Toji. However, Fugaku stopped them with a subtle hand gesture.

“I see, you do have quite a foul mouth as rumoured.”

“Oh, that surprises me that you know about me,” Toji replied quickly, his sardonic smile never fading. "I thought you were just a senile old man who liked to play politics with your yes-men."

This time, the corner of Fugaku's eyebrow seemed to twitch slightly.

“If I were you, I would watch my mouth and watch who I'm talking to, young man.”

“Same here, I guess? Since I know how the streets work, not just empty rhetoric about power, I’d be a better clan head than you,” Toji replied, emphasising the last few words.

Fugaku sighed at the teenager's antics. He knew full well what the sarcasm meant, but he refused to fall for the emotional trap. After all, further engagement wouldn't do him any good.

“Tell Shisui to come to the meeting tonight,” Fugaku said straight to the point, “If he doesn’t come for the third time, there’s no other choice but for you to come on his behalf.”

Toji, who was quite enjoying the rare moment to tease Fugaku, narrowed his eyes when he heard the man's order.

“What do you mean? Why should I come to his place?”

"It's your duty as an Uchiha. Every house with active shinobi must send at least one representative to the meeting," Fugaku replied flatly.

After his question was answered, another grin appeared on Toji's face.

“I see. In other words, if any of your members don’t go along with your dirty politics, you’ll hold their families hostage, huh?”

Fugaku's brow twitched at the remark. He had never encountered someone so openly criticising him. But then again, he would never fall for such a cheap word game. Especially when it came from someone whom almost everyone in the clan ostracised.

“Suit yourself,” Fugaku said briefly as he left the scene.

Those three little bastards also went after their leader. However, the man who had hit Toji stopped his steps and turned around.

“Heavenly Restriction Physically Gifted? So, what? You seem a little stronger because the people you beat were just mediocres who couldn’t even properly perform body reinforcement using Chakra.”

Toji raised an eyebrow when he received the call. However, he remained silent.

"But compared to a proper shinobi, your talent isn't anything special. So, what if you have a strong, pure physique? We shinobi can accomplish such feats with our Chakra," the man continued.

Without waiting for Toji's reaction, he simply continued walking, following his group. Meanwhile, Toji's neck muscles seemed to thicken at the taunt. He couldn't refute it, or rather, he wanted to rebut it with his fists. However, with Fugaku there, he knew violence was out of the question. After all, even though he had some guts to throw harsh criticism at the man, he couldn't deny that the clan leader was on a completely different level.

“Those fuckers. I swear the ones who’ll end you in the future will be an Uchiha and that Chakra you’re so proud of,” Toji muttered, his fists clenched.

It felt disgusting. Even though he wanted to fight back, his rationality kept him from doing so. And what was even more disgusting was that it only showed how weak he was right now, able to only throw empty words without the courage to take action.

—OoOoO—

It had been a tiring moment for Fugaku. Not because he had engaged in any particularly brutal physical activity, but dealing with an uncultured boy had proven to be more troublesome than he had expected. Furthermore, it was the first time he had spoken to him directly in eight years, when Shisui and Toji were six, and he had issued an internal verdict that only Shisui was worthy of attending the Academy.

'I heard a lot of rumours that kid was getting into fights everywhere after that, but I didn't expect that he had even worse manners than I imagined.'

Still accompanied by three men tailing him, Fugaku opened the wooden fence and entered his yard. However, his eyes narrowed when he saw a young man sitting right in front of his porch with his legs bent backwards.

“Shisui?” Fugaku said when he realised who the figure was.

Hearing his name being called, Shisui immediately turned his head toward the source of the voice. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the man. However, he quickly turned to face Fugaku properly, as he remained seated, of course, and bowed slightly to show deep respect.

“Master Fugaku, good afternoon.”

The clan leader didn't seem to care much about the young man's attitude as he simply walked past him and sat down on the terrace.

“Raise your head, and tell me what brings you here?” Fugaku said firmly.

Despite having permission to convey the purpose of his visit, Shisui seemed a little hesitant to reveal it. Understanding his body language, Fugaku turned his gaze to his three subordinates.

“You guys, go ahead. Get some rest for tonight’s meeting.”

Their eyes darted sharply at Shisui, even though he completely ignored them. That only further irritated them. The three men seemed hesitant to follow the order. However, the clan leader's words were undeniable, and they were the absolute rule in this place.

“Certainly, Master Fugaku,” they exclaimed in unison.

The atmosphere fell into silence as the last of the people disappeared. A cool breeze drifted through the trees, gently stirring the leaves and swaying the thin branches until they brushed softly against one another. The faint rustling echoed through the forest, accompanied only by the occasional creak of old wood bending in the wind. It should have been a calming sound, yet in the absence of voices, it only made the silence feel heavier.

Amid the oppressive silence, Fugaku remained seated, unmoving. His back was straight, his gaze calm, and his demeanour as cold as timeless stone. The pressure sent a sense of discomfort through Shisui's entire body, emphasising the gap between them. It wasn't just physical distance, but a gulf of status and power.

“You seem so comfortable hanging around the Hokage lately, huh?” the man said dryly.

"I just carried out the missions he gave me."

"I understand your position, and I appreciate it. You're the only Uchiha who's been entrusted with being the Lord Third's guard in all this time."

Fugaku closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again to look at Shisui with a probing look.

“It seems, he truly respects the blood that flows within you.”

“That is too much praise for me as I have not achieved as much as my grandfather.”

Fugaku's words weren't mere empty praise. It was a fact that he stated that no other Uchiha had been trusted with the Hokage's bodyguard in all this time. It wasn't because they were weak. Rather, the village's higher-ups had very little trust in the clan.

In fact, instead of carrying out infiltration missions or operations in other countries, the Uchiha were placed as a police force, maintaining village security. At first glance, it might seem like an easy and honourable job for such a formidable clan. However, it also meant that they had difficulty climbing the political hierarchy and gaining more merit, as their duty as policemen was nothing compared to that of those who carried out major or high-ranking missions.

In other words, if there was an Uchiha who was closest and had legal access to climb the ladder of power, it was Uchiha Shisui.

“So, what brings you here?” Fugaku asked coldly, “You’ve already missed two regular meetings. So, I assume you’ve been unavailable for almost a week, even though several people have seen you in the village.”

"I will not deny that I was in the village during that period, Master Fugaku. However, I assure you that I had my reasons. That is why I have come to see you personally, so that I may explain my actions directly."

The man didn't say a word or even change his expression. He remained as stoic as ever. However, his silence was enough to signal to Shisui that he was permitting him to continue his report.

“First of all, please allow me to take out a document scroll," said the boy, and Fugaku immediately nodded.

Shisui took a parchment from his ninja pouch. Still bowing, he handed the scroll to Fugaku with both hands, and the man accepted it with a flat expression.

The clan leader pulled on the string tying the scroll and partially unwrapped it to reveal the first line of the document. However, his brow immediately furrowed, revealing his displeasure at what he had just read.

“What is the meaning of this, Shisui? Are you trying to gather a petition against me?”

"No, Master Fugaku. I would never presume to act in such a manner," Shisui answered, lifting his gaze to meet Fugaku's. "It was never intended as a petition. It was simply an attempt to gauge the sentiments of several clan members regarding the possibility of a coup d'état."

Despite his calm exterior, the boy was undeniably a little nervous. His eyes glinted with determination, belying his mind, which was busy formulating the best possible words to avoid making the situation worse. Even without showing any obvious signs, he struggled to regulate his breathing to maintain composure.

"I did not include their names because they felt more comfortable remaining anonymous. However, I can assure you that every statement recorded there is genuine," Shisui continued, his gaze never leaving Fugaku. "What I wish to convey, however, is that while many support the idea of a coup, just as many harbour serious reservations about it. It is not because they fail to understand the clan's grievances. Rather, they still hope this conflict can be resolved through more peaceful means."

“If the option of open negotiations had existed, this coup plot would never have emerged in the first place.”

With his position still kneeling, Shisui clenched his fists tightly.

"Lord Third has agreed to place Uchiha representatives in strategic positions beyond the council or the police force. Doesn't that already cover three of the clan's four demands?"

Politically, the Uchiha might seem like a powerful clan. They lead the Konoha police force and serve on the council alongside the other major clans. However, political decisions in Konoha never rest with the council, and the police force was merely an institution with no political leverage whatsoever.

Hierarchically, Konoha's leadership rested with the Hokage and his advisors. While the council addressed general village issues and relations among civilians, the Hokage's advisors had a powerful voice in determining the village's political and military direction. They could push for direct action on issues within the village. In fact, the escalating conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha was also influenced by pressure from the Hokage's advisors.

Therefore, if the Uchiha could enter the inner circle of the village government, it should be more than enough to give them strong political leverage.

“Shisui, what demands did the Uchiha make of the Hokage?” asked Fugaku.

“But Master Fugaku—.”

"Answer my question."

Fugaku, who cut off Shisui's words, made the boy flinch slightly, his breath held.

“Clearing the name of the Uchiha for their involvement in the Nine-Tails incident eight years ago,” Shisui answered weakly with his head bowed, “Relocation and granting the clan members the right to live anywhere in the village, placing a clan representative in the inner circle of village leadership, and….”

Shisui had already uttered three demands. However, before he could utter the fourth, he bit the corner of his lip and clenched his fists tightly.

“… Appointing Uchiha Fugaku as the Fifth Hokage.”

Hearing that weak voice, the man stood up from his seat. He stared at Shisui with a flat gaze. The figure who had previously arrived with confidence, carrying the document containing the opinion poll, now knelt weakly, unable to lift his head.

“If you want the coup d'état to never happen, tell the Hokage to immediately comply with these demands,” Fugaku said.

Without bothering to wait for Shisui's reaction, he simply left the boy alone. Meanwhile, Shisui's eyes narrowed, his eyelids almost completely shut to suppress the agitation he felt.

“At least think about those who still value their lives and families, damn it,” the boy muttered.

—OoOoO—

Being in the middle of two powerful currents was never comfortable. Those currents weren’t just streams. They were forces that collided, engulfed each other, and they didn't care who got caught in between. At that meeting point, you were required to stand firmly on your own two feet, planting them deeply into the muddy ground. Because if you let your guard down, if you allow yourself to falter even slightly, your body and your faith would be torn apart by the merciless maelstrom.

It was indeed much easier to choose one current and let yourself drift. There was no need to think, no need to bear the burden of balancing both. However, the problem became cruel when both currents flowed into the two pools you desire. Two goals you both desire, two hopes that both feel true. At that point, the choice was no longer simply a matter of courage, but of the risk of losing everything, including your very existence.

“I'm home….”

Shisui's voice sounded hoarse, as if the exhaustion in his body had also made his throat even tighter. Nevertheless, he dragged his feet back into the house, resting and recharging his energy, which had been nearly depleted after a busy week without any results.

“If you were home, you should have answered my greetings, Toji,” said the young Uchiha.

He stared at the figure lying down to watch television in a tilted position and his right hand supporting his head.

“Yeah, sure, sure,” Toji replied nonchalantly.

Ignoring his brother, his left hand took a few pieces of French fries from the bowl in front of him and ate them just like that.

Witnessing that scene, Shisui could only sigh in resignation. While it seemed unpleasant, it was a daily occurrence in their home. All he could do was walk over and sit quietly on the sofa to join him in whatever he was watching.

“It’s unusual for you to be home at this hour,” said the young ninja.

“Yeah. I also regret why I didn’t just go out this morning.”

Shisui raised an eyebrow when he heard that reply.

“Huh? Why? Honestly, that was an unexpected answer from you.”

“Fugaku and his clowns stopped by heere,” Toji replied without taking his eyes off the television.

“They did?”

Instead of answering the question straight away, the burly boy chose to put some fries back into his mouth.

“Looks like they’re really desperate to keep up with the check,” Toji replied after swallowing his potatoes.

However, Shisui didn't seem to be paying much attention to those words as his widened eyes stared straight at his twin brother's back.

“They didn't do anything to you, right?”

Shisui's voice trembled slightly, something completely at odds with his well-known image as a genius, a fighter with incredible efficiency and speed, one who even prompted comparisons to Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage. However, that was all just an outward appearance. At home, he was just a normal boy, orphaned after the Nine-Tails incident and forced to survive alone, with only his twin brother for company.

“You should worry about yourself instead of me,” Toji replied.

“How could I? You’re my little brother, it’s natural for me to worry about you.”

Hearing that reply, Toji let out a long snort. He immediately sat up and straightened his back, then looked at Shisui with a lazy gaze.

“Stop with that nonsense, you're only an hour and a half older than me.”

“But an hour and a half gap is quite long, even unnatural for twin labour, you know?” Shisui replied.

In the medical world, a second baby would usually be delivered by cesarean section if the second baby hadn't been born after more than thirty minutes. However, that wasn't the case for Shisui and Toji's mother. A cesarean section was only performed if the mother lost the strength to endure contractions or when the baby's heartbeat weakened. However, their mother was an Uchiha shinobi. She possessed enough strength and tolerance to endure a long labour. Meanwhile, baby Toji had a very strong heartbeat, even for a newborn. However, that was also what made him stubbornly determined not to leave his mother's womb.

"You know that's not what I meant. At this point, someone will actually come to kill you," said the boy with the vertical scar at the corner of his lip.

Shisui was stunned to hear his brother's seemingly sincere concern. His chest felt warm at those words, something he thought Toji would never utter.

“I’m so touched to see you worry about me,” Shisui said.

This caused a crossroads to appear at Toji's temple. However, before he could retaliate, Shisui got in front of him.

"But someone has to do this, you know? Otherwise, Konoha and the Uchiha will destroy each other. And the ones who’ll suffer the most won't be those fighting, but those who don't want to get involved, just want to live in peace, but are dragged into this mess."

“And it’s not your responsibility to clean it up,” Toji replied curtly.

Shisui didn't immediately respond to those words. Deep down, he understood that whatever happened between the clan and the village was none of his business. His status in the clan was merely that of a commoner, and although he was quite close to the Hokage, he was ultimately nothing more than a bodyguard. The politics of the village were beyond his competence.

“But still, if everyone ignores what needs to be done just because it's none of their business, the good things in this world will perish together with all its rottenness.”

That gentle yet straightforward explanation moved Toji. However, he didn't overreact. Ultimately, it was a dream amidst utopia.

“Then, just take the Uchiha who don't want to rebel out of Konoha, and establish a new settlement there,” Toji said.

"Honestly, that thought crossed my mind as well," Shisui replied with a sigh. "However, an exodus elsewhere is also very risky. We don't have a political shield to protect ourselves from other countries, but the Konoha higher-ups can issue orders for the purge of the remaining clan members after the civil war is over."

In practical terms, those who leave their villages during a crisis could be said to have no interest in power, but also didn’t want to be dragged into the chaos. Logically, such people pose no threat to the government. However, those in power often operate under the worst-case scenario, leading to the activation of unreasonable protocols.

However, if the problem lay in the circles of power on both sides, then the solution was also clear.

“Have you never thought about using Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku or one of the Hokage's advisors?”

Shisui's eyes widened at the question.

“Wait. If I do that, it would be like manipulating the entire village system. That’s a bit too….”

Toji stared at his brother blankly. He could already guess what he was trying to convey. Shisui was fundamentally a good man. He wasn't naive, but he possessed strong civic values that prevented him from ever considering manipulating the system from above.

“No. Honestly, that option doesn’t sound bad,” the boy finally admitted weakly, “but put the leaders under my Genjutsu, I couldn’t imagine it. Mabe I’ll keep that option as a last resort if everything else didn’t work out.”

Silence enveloped the two siblings. Toji just stared at him without saying a word, his gaze showing not the slightest interest. Or rather, he didn’t understand what his brother was thinking when a pretty simple method was right in front of him, yet he was searching for a roundabout solution that only made things more complicated for himself.

"I've warned you. If you die, don't ever come back to haunt me, let alone ask me to avenge you."

Toji stood up after those words. He walked over and picked up his haori, putting it on as he walked towards the exit.

“Where are you going?” Shisui asked.

And without looking at his brother, Toji immediately answered.

“Looking for some fresh air. Who knows, I might run into some arrogant Chunin, right? That would be a great excuse to beat them up.”

“Please, not again,” Shisui replied with a soft sigh.

Toji wasn't a shinobi. Although he trained his body daily, sometimes even two or three times a week with Guy, he never had the opportunity to test his strength. Unlike his past self, when he and the kids in his clan were just hot-headed brats, he could fight almost every day.

However, as they grew older, the clansmen's treatment of him became more of a cold insult than a violent one, and it left him unable to retaliate with blows. As such, all Toji could do in recent years was fight with small-time thugs.

“By the way, Izumi-chan keeps nagging me, you know?” Shisui said before his brother left, “Please visit her once in a while and spar together like usual.”

“If I remember, okay?”

—OoOoO—

The sky that night looked empty, just a plain dark sky without stars or moonlight. There was nothing to decorate it apart from heavy hanging clouds that covered the sky like a gloomy grey curtain. It was as if the darkness was dripping down to the earth, creeping slowly and covering the entire village with a gloomy atmosphere.

Normally, nights in the village were filled with laughter and boisterous parties that lasted until late. But this time, the streets were deserted. There were none of the usual figures gathered on street corners. The taverns, usually bustling with conversation and jokes, seemed much quieter than usual. Dim lamps illuminated only the empty benches.

'It’s only nine o'clock, but there’s no interesting at all.'

Toji dragged his feet lazily along the village streets. His head turned left and right, searching for something that might relieve his boredom.

'Should I go to Kurenai's place again? But that would be the fourth time this week.'

Whenever he was bored, Kurenai's place was always his first stop, even though the more he went there, the more likely her boyfriend would catch her cheating. However, Toji didn't really care. It wasn't his fault that he was attracted to an older woman who already had a boyfriend. Though that didn't mean he would find her home right away. In fact, sometimes he had just gone to her house with her still at work.

His next destination was locked. However, just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly saw a silhouette running at high speed. At first glance, it might have been a common sight in a shinobi village, but Toji was certain that what he had just seen was more than just a shinobi running. Whether he was seeing things incorrectly or not, he was certain that the group of shinobi had just run with a small child in their arms.

'If it really is a child kidnapping case, doesn't that mean I can beat them up to my heart's content?'

A maniacal grin etched itself onto the face, and Toji immediately ran towards the direction the group of shinobi had fled.

'This feeling, the violence, is much more exciting than having sex with someone else's girlfriend. So, please don't betray my expectations.'

—To Be Continued—

Author Note: Hello… how are you, my friends? I hope you’re all doing well and that God always blesses you.

Anyway, I finally finished the latest chapter of this fic, lol. I actually really enjoyed writing it, but since I only treat this as a side project, I often forget to write it. Moving forward, I want to try to write this story more often without sacrificing time. So, you can expect more from this fic even though the update schedule is uncertain.

And for Kurenai’s rank. Yes, I know she should be a Chunin around this era. But for the sake of the story, I fabricated it and made her a Jounin already.

Okay, that’s all from me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. See you, and please take care of your health.